This old photo had me doing a double take. 
I knew I had seen it somewhere before...
Life with my boys
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Q&A: Southern's Sleeping Patterns
A family member recently sent me a very sweet email trying to help figure out how to get Southern (and me) sleeping longer each night. Writing a response to that email sparked the idea for this Q&A.
Q: Are you letting him cry-it-out so that he can learn how to put himself back to sleep?
A: I've heard very good arguments from both sides of the cry-it-out debate, and I've come to the conclusion that each family just has to do what works for them and that each baby is different. I don't think crying-it-out is what's best for us at this time.
Q: Do you have a set schedule since babies thrive on routine?
A: With Dustin's tennis schedule, sometimes he gets home around 4pm. Other days, it's not until 11pm. So while we don't have a set schedule, I try to do the same things around the same time most days. It would be impossible have a set schedule and still do things as a family. I do things in the same way each time so that there is a routine, and that works for us.
Q: Are you setting an early enough bed time?
A: I think it's more important for us to do things together than worry about sending Southern to bed super early. If we can adjust to Dustin's schedule, allowing us to see him for a few hours extra each night, why not? There is no reason we need to wake up early each day. Since we stay up later than usual, we just stay in bed later than usual in the morning. Inconventional, I know. But we get to do more things as a family this way, so I don't really mind being different. This will have to change one day, but for right now it works.
Q: Why not let someone else put him to bed?
A: I am breastfeeding, and we start the sleep ritual with a nightly feeding each night. I will try to begin the weaning process once he is 1 and able to drink cow's milk. Things may change then.
Q: Why not just leave him alone with Dustin for a weekend?
A: Then I would come home to find a starving naked baby in the backyard... haha! Just kidding, hubby!!
I know we're not doing everything perfectly, but I believe there is really no perfect way and that each mom and baby must figure out what works for them via trial and error. What we're doing right now works for us though it may seem a little crazy to others. Southern does sleep through the night between teeth. And he's such a wonderful baby in all other respects, I'm not worried. I want to do what's best for him, not for me. So if I get some sleepless nights out of the deal, it's not that bad. Pretty soon, he'll be in high school, and then I really won't be able to sleep for worrying about him staying out all night!!
Q: Are you letting him cry-it-out so that he can learn how to put himself back to sleep?
A: I've heard very good arguments from both sides of the cry-it-out debate, and I've come to the conclusion that each family just has to do what works for them and that each baby is different. I don't think crying-it-out is what's best for us at this time.
Q: Do you have a set schedule since babies thrive on routine?
A: With Dustin's tennis schedule, sometimes he gets home around 4pm. Other days, it's not until 11pm. So while we don't have a set schedule, I try to do the same things around the same time most days. It would be impossible have a set schedule and still do things as a family. I do things in the same way each time so that there is a routine, and that works for us.
Q: Are you setting an early enough bed time?
A: I think it's more important for us to do things together than worry about sending Southern to bed super early. If we can adjust to Dustin's schedule, allowing us to see him for a few hours extra each night, why not? There is no reason we need to wake up early each day. Since we stay up later than usual, we just stay in bed later than usual in the morning. Inconventional, I know. But we get to do more things as a family this way, so I don't really mind being different. This will have to change one day, but for right now it works.
Q: Why not let someone else put him to bed?
A: I am breastfeeding, and we start the sleep ritual with a nightly feeding each night. I will try to begin the weaning process once he is 1 and able to drink cow's milk. Things may change then.
Q: Why not just leave him alone with Dustin for a weekend?
A: Then I would come home to find a starving naked baby in the backyard... haha! Just kidding, hubby!!
I know we're not doing everything perfectly, but I believe there is really no perfect way and that each mom and baby must figure out what works for them via trial and error. What we're doing right now works for us though it may seem a little crazy to others. Southern does sleep through the night between teeth. And he's such a wonderful baby in all other respects, I'm not worried. I want to do what's best for him, not for me. So if I get some sleepless nights out of the deal, it's not that bad. Pretty soon, he'll be in high school, and then I really won't be able to sleep for worrying about him staying out all night!!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Snow!!
How exciting!! Southern's first snow day.
It started out with sleet...
Then came the little snow flurries...
So we went outside to enjoy the snow!
It was very small but it did stick to the ground
and start to pile up along the fence.
Yay!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Ear Infection
Southern had been running a low-grade temperature Thursday evening, Friday, and Saturday. I attributed it to his teething. I gave him a little Tylenol, and he was fine. He didn't show any signs of excessive fussiness or irritability. He was his normal self; eating, drinking, and sleeping like always. Then Saturday evening rolls around and he starts getting fussy, more so than usual. He would cry when I would lay him down on his back to change his diaper or put on his pajamas. I thought he must just be extra tired or something.
We did our usual thing, waking up every so often during the night. At the 5am rocking session, I noticed he was super hot. His fever must be getting worse. I put him back to sleep, crawled into our bed, and told Dustin he was burning up. We were both exhausted from lack of sleep, so after a grunt of acknowledgement, Dustin fell back asleep. I did too. Then around 7 or 7:30am, Southern is awake and crying again. I ask Dustin to go check on him. He does and feels Southern's forehead. He's still burning up. He brings him to me and rushes to get the thermometer. It says 103.5 - yikes! We call Texas Med Clinic, explain what's happening and tell them we'll be right in.
Dustin and I get dressed and take a drowsy, hot baby in to the clinic. We are seen quickly. His temperature wasn't measuring as high there, but his oxygen levels didn't measure high either. The doctor takes a look in his mouth and ears and tells us he has an ear infection. They think the oxygen levels are a little lower than usual because of congestion but just to be sure, they need to take an x-ray to make sure he doesn't have pneumonia. So we take him into the x-ray room, and Dustin and I hold him down while the machine takes a quick x-ray. They don't see anything wrong, so they give him a large dose of Tylenol to lower the fever and give us a prescription for his ear infection.
We get the medicine and give him the first dose. It helped right away. He spent most of the early afternoon dozing and was back to his happy self by the evening. He no longer has a fever and is looking like he feels just fine. I will continue to give him the ear infection medicine for the next 3 days as instructed, but I think his ear is no longer bothering him. I can now lay him flat on his back to change him without him crying. Thank goodness!
We did our usual thing, waking up every so often during the night. At the 5am rocking session, I noticed he was super hot. His fever must be getting worse. I put him back to sleep, crawled into our bed, and told Dustin he was burning up. We were both exhausted from lack of sleep, so after a grunt of acknowledgement, Dustin fell back asleep. I did too. Then around 7 or 7:30am, Southern is awake and crying again. I ask Dustin to go check on him. He does and feels Southern's forehead. He's still burning up. He brings him to me and rushes to get the thermometer. It says 103.5 - yikes! We call Texas Med Clinic, explain what's happening and tell them we'll be right in.
Dustin and I get dressed and take a drowsy, hot baby in to the clinic. We are seen quickly. His temperature wasn't measuring as high there, but his oxygen levels didn't measure high either. The doctor takes a look in his mouth and ears and tells us he has an ear infection. They think the oxygen levels are a little lower than usual because of congestion but just to be sure, they need to take an x-ray to make sure he doesn't have pneumonia. So we take him into the x-ray room, and Dustin and I hold him down while the machine takes a quick x-ray. They don't see anything wrong, so they give him a large dose of Tylenol to lower the fever and give us a prescription for his ear infection.
We get the medicine and give him the first dose. It helped right away. He spent most of the early afternoon dozing and was back to his happy self by the evening. He no longer has a fever and is looking like he feels just fine. I will continue to give him the ear infection medicine for the next 3 days as instructed, but I think his ear is no longer bothering him. I can now lay him flat on his back to change him without him crying. Thank goodness!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Sleep
As many of you already know, Southern has a bit of a problem with sleep. Actually, he fights it. He would much rather go, go, go all day and all night. Some nights, it simply exhausts me. Other nights, I take it all in stride knowing that one day soon, my baby boy will be too old to want to snuggle up and rock with me.
Yesterday, Southern and I visited Daddy at his school. We picked him up and headed to Starcke Park for a picnic lunch. Southern and I were thinking we could eat at a picnic table near the playground so Southern could swing after lunch. Daddy had other ideas. We ate by the river, about 1/4 mile away from anyone else. It was so peaceful. And Southern certainly enjoyed himself even though there were no swings. I think he will end up taking after his dad in that department. Life is better outdoors.
After lunch, we dropped Dustin off at school and went grocery shopping. Everyone at HEB just loved Southern. He enjoyed all the smiles and waves. We got stopped in nearly every aisle for a compliment! And after shopping, we loaded up the groceries to head home. Southern napped on the way. After I unloaded the car, I woke Southern up. He was pretty cranky so I took him up to his room to rock him back to sleep. He didn't want any of that. He would rather play. Okay, so we'll try to nap again later (or so I thought).
He didn't sleep again for the rest of the day. He was tired and moody by the time 9:30 pm rolled around. I fed him his cereal, changed him into his pajamas, turned on his night time CD, and rocked him to sleep. Quite easily. Normally, it's on song 7 or 8 by the time I am able to leave the room. Last night, song 3 was just beginning. I was in bed by 10:30pm and thinking it was my lucky night.
Not so much. Southern woke up very shortly, just as I was falling asleep. He continued to wake up every 1-1.5 hours after that. It was awful. By 5am, I was spent. His cries woke both Dustin and myself up this time, and I told Dustin that I didn't have the energy to even get out of bed. After many minutes of crying, my husband (what?) got out of bed to put our son back to sleep. This is rare. I mean, very rare. Dustin has a job. He teaches school and coaches tennis. I have a job. It's called Southern. So when he got out of bed voluntarily, I couldn't believe it. I was so thankful. He was able to put Southern to sleep and then came back to get a little more shut eye before starting his day.
Southern slept from then until just now at 11am... I need to know what kind of magic spell my husband put on our son. I want the ingredients to that potion! Dustin, maybe you could put Southern to bed every night?!?
Yesterday, Southern and I visited Daddy at his school. We picked him up and headed to Starcke Park for a picnic lunch. Southern and I were thinking we could eat at a picnic table near the playground so Southern could swing after lunch. Daddy had other ideas. We ate by the river, about 1/4 mile away from anyone else. It was so peaceful. And Southern certainly enjoyed himself even though there were no swings. I think he will end up taking after his dad in that department. Life is better outdoors.
After lunch, we dropped Dustin off at school and went grocery shopping. Everyone at HEB just loved Southern. He enjoyed all the smiles and waves. We got stopped in nearly every aisle for a compliment! And after shopping, we loaded up the groceries to head home. Southern napped on the way. After I unloaded the car, I woke Southern up. He was pretty cranky so I took him up to his room to rock him back to sleep. He didn't want any of that. He would rather play. Okay, so we'll try to nap again later (or so I thought).
He didn't sleep again for the rest of the day. He was tired and moody by the time 9:30 pm rolled around. I fed him his cereal, changed him into his pajamas, turned on his night time CD, and rocked him to sleep. Quite easily. Normally, it's on song 7 or 8 by the time I am able to leave the room. Last night, song 3 was just beginning. I was in bed by 10:30pm and thinking it was my lucky night.
Not so much. Southern woke up very shortly, just as I was falling asleep. He continued to wake up every 1-1.5 hours after that. It was awful. By 5am, I was spent. His cries woke both Dustin and myself up this time, and I told Dustin that I didn't have the energy to even get out of bed. After many minutes of crying, my husband (what?) got out of bed to put our son back to sleep. This is rare. I mean, very rare. Dustin has a job. He teaches school and coaches tennis. I have a job. It's called Southern. So when he got out of bed voluntarily, I couldn't believe it. I was so thankful. He was able to put Southern to sleep and then came back to get a little more shut eye before starting his day.
Southern slept from then until just now at 11am... I need to know what kind of magic spell my husband put on our son. I want the ingredients to that potion! Dustin, maybe you could put Southern to bed every night?!?
Monday, February 15, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Mommy loves Daddy
In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I decided to post some pictures of Southern's mommy and daddy from way before he was born. This is the 11th Valentine's Day Dustin and I will spend together.
Fishing in 2002
My high school graduation, 2003
The first of four proms together, spring 2000
Twin Day at school, fall 2000
Friday, February 12, 2010
Granny Denise
Dustin and I have recently discussed what his mom would have liked Southern to call her. My mom has had a hard time picking out a name. With 7/8th of our grandparents still alive, the usual names are already taken. We have a Grandma, two Grannys, and a DeDe. So I was trying to think of something different we could call his mom. We eventually went back to Granny though. We call Denise's mom Granny Ehlers, and her mom's mom was called Granny too. When Dustin and Carly were born, they just started calling her Great Granny. I think this is what we'll do with Granny Ehlers too. We decided it's what Denise would have liked. So she will now be Granny Denise, and Granny Ehlers will be Great Granny.
As it sometimes happens, we don't know the why, but God needed another angel in heaven one steamy day in July of 1991. Dustin and Carly lost their mom. I never even had the chance to meet her, but she's left a hole so big in my life I can't even begin to imagine how Dustin and Carly feel. But from old home movies, stories, and my own imagination, I feel as though I know her.
And strangely enough, I believe I actually met her once. I had a very vivid dream the night before I married Dustin, and she was in it. We were just hanging out. Dustin was there, my mom, her, Granny Ehlers, Carly. We were sitting around in an empty auditorium somewhere. Carly had something going on that day that we were there to watch. So we were just waiting. And talking. I remember she asked me about my dress and my flowers. It was as if she had been around the whole time. She knew most of the details of our wedding planning already. It was just small talk. We watched Carly do her thing on stage, and when it was over, there were hugs all around. After I hugged her, she pulled back, smiled at me, and said see you soon. I woke up feeling as though it all actually happened. I think it was her way of letting us know she's watching over us. And the night before I was to wed her son, she welcomed me into the family.
I want Southern to grow up knowing her too. So I've already begun talking about her to him. He knows that he has a grandmother in heaven watching down over him. And her name is Granny Denise.
As it sometimes happens, we don't know the why, but God needed another angel in heaven one steamy day in July of 1991. Dustin and Carly lost their mom. I never even had the chance to meet her, but she's left a hole so big in my life I can't even begin to imagine how Dustin and Carly feel. But from old home movies, stories, and my own imagination, I feel as though I know her.
And strangely enough, I believe I actually met her once. I had a very vivid dream the night before I married Dustin, and she was in it. We were just hanging out. Dustin was there, my mom, her, Granny Ehlers, Carly. We were sitting around in an empty auditorium somewhere. Carly had something going on that day that we were there to watch. So we were just waiting. And talking. I remember she asked me about my dress and my flowers. It was as if she had been around the whole time. She knew most of the details of our wedding planning already. It was just small talk. We watched Carly do her thing on stage, and when it was over, there were hugs all around. After I hugged her, she pulled back, smiled at me, and said see you soon. I woke up feeling as though it all actually happened. I think it was her way of letting us know she's watching over us. And the night before I was to wed her son, she welcomed me into the family.
I want Southern to grow up knowing her too. So I've already begun talking about her to him. He knows that he has a grandmother in heaven watching down over him. And her name is Granny Denise.
Friday, February 5, 2010
A Day at the Museum
Since it has been raining most of the past two weeks, we couldn't do our usual weekly trip to the park. We decided to take our boys to the local children's museum instead. There was so much for them to do there. I've posted a ton of pictures, but these represent only about half of what we did. There's just too many photos to post! Also, we didn't do any of the outdoor activities due to the weather. We definately need to look into getting a membership there.
Southern at the hardware store. Looks like he was interested in buying a brick and a wheel barrow!
Here's Aidan at the bank. So cute considering his mom and I met while we were both tellers at Wells Fargo.
Southern enjoyed shopping at the grocery store. We had to leave this area not long after taking this pic though. Southern decided he would rather crawl than push the buggy, and those kids get crazy pushing buggys around there! After it calmed down, we took our boys back to the grocery store where they both decided that pushing buggys is fun, but that it's more fun to push them around the entire museum. It was hard to get a picture of that because they were so fast!!
Southern and Aidan enjoying the camping section of the museum.
Looking at the fish and tiny alligators.
You can definitely tell this is Dustin's son. Fishing with more than one rod and reel. His daddy has been known to set up as many as 7 rod and reels at a time. It's never a dull moment with those two...
Another Dustin Jr moment.
We got to calculate Southern's BMI. You entered in height, age, and gender then stood on the scale. It was 18 and at normal healthy range. It shows he has little fat. Yay! The columns from left to right are Blood, Bone, Muscle, Fat, and Organs. I didn't want to step on the scale... too scarey. But my friend did hers, and it wasn't pretty. We couldn't do Aidan's because he wouldn't stand still long enough for it to weigh him.
Puzzle time.
Playing with all the soft, squishy shapes in the tot corner.
Aidan and Southern putting siding on a house. So cute! The house also had wallpaper (seen through the window) to put up inside as well as plumbing to assemble.
Southern enjoying the view in the ER.
Playing with trains above and inside the space shuttle below.
Needless to say, the boys loved it! We stayed for four hours, and they were both tired and cranky by then, but they still didn't want to leave. We had to drag them out of the museum, through the pouring rain (up until then it was only sprinkling - just our luck), and strap them into their carseats where both boys promptly fell asleep on the ride home. It was a great day.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
10 Months Old
A quick update on what this 10-month-old is up to:
Southern can stand on his own for a little while. He will be holding onto something (his walker, the coffee table, the sofa, etc) and will let go to balance on his own without even realizing it. After 5-10 seconds, he will then grab back onto whatever he let go of and calmly go about his business as if it never happened.
He is still "talking" like crazy. No words yet, though he has said dada and mama, he doesn't realize that he's saying them. He's just making noises.
Southern is eating a lot more "grown-up" food now. Some of his favorites include, whole wheat spiral pasta covered in pesto, braided honey wheat twists (they resemble pretzel sticks but are thicker), meatballs in tomato sauce, honey 7-grain bread, diced cantaloupe, bean and cheese burritos, my homemade stew, and crackers.
He's wearing size 18-month clothes with some of his pajamas in that size already getting too snug.
Southern hasn't really gotten into cartoons yet. He does love Baby Einstein DVDs though, especially the one he has on animals around the world. And his favorite show, much to his daddy's chagrin, is Yo Gabba Gabba.
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Monday Blahs
Today is Monday. For us, that means...
The weekend is over.
No more visits from extended family for at least 5 days.
No more lazy mornings with relaxed breakfasts.
No more of the boys watching fishing on TV in their pajamas.
It's back to work for Daddy.
Another five 10+ hour days with him away from home.
Papers for graduate school need to be written.
Papers from high school need to be graded.
And, it's trash day.
Not very exciting. In fact, coupled with this weather, Southern and I have got the Monday blahs.
You might have the Monday blahs too. Need a laugh? I know I do.
If the little chuckle monster in this video doesn't make you grin, you've got more than just a case of the Monday blahs. You should call you doctor. ASAP.
The weekend is over.
No more visits from extended family for at least 5 days.
No more lazy mornings with relaxed breakfasts.
No more of the boys watching fishing on TV in their pajamas.
It's back to work for Daddy.
Another five 10+ hour days with him away from home.
Papers for graduate school need to be written.
Papers from high school need to be graded.
And, it's trash day.
Not very exciting. In fact, coupled with this weather, Southern and I have got the Monday blahs.
You might have the Monday blahs too. Need a laugh? I know I do.
If the little chuckle monster in this video doesn't make you grin, you've got more than just a case of the Monday blahs. You should call you doctor. ASAP.
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